


Reunion

by blythechild



Series: Illustrations/Fan Art [39]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Digital Art, Fanart, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Illustrations, M/M, Male Friendship, Post-Canon, Road Trips, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 23:32:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18537712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blythechild/pseuds/blythechild
Summary: When Reid retires from the FBI he takes a road trip, visiting Hotch along the way.This is a work of fanfiction, and as such I do not claim ownership over the characters herein. It was created as a personal amusement. The artwork contained in this story is property of the author and I claim all copyrights over it. Both the story and image are suitable for all audiences.





	Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> A post-series fic.

It was just supposed to be a visit – a quick check-in on his way out to the west coast. With his Bureau career now in his rearview mirror, he found the empty road in front of him both exciting and worrisome. And, God, it had been _years_ since he felt both of those things together.

It was just a visit, but when the door swung open and Reid waved his goofy didn’t-call-ahead greeting, Aaron broke into a wide grin that Bureau stalwarts might have considered deeply improbable. He collected Reid into a tight hug right there on his front stoop, and Reid froze for a moment before returning it, hiding his smile against Aaron’s shoulder.

“Just passing through,” he assured Aaron, but Aaron dropped his bags in the spare room anyway.

“No hurry,” he said, one side of his mouth curling.

Two days later in Aaron’s kitchen, Reid reached for a soapy dish from the sink while Aaron washed, and they brushed together. It was nothing – an invasion of personal space they’d done a thousand times before. Reid backed away, Aaron didn’t.

“May I kiss you?” he asked so quietly it was almost as if it hadn’t happened. Reid stared for a solid ten seconds, taking in the worn lines around Aaron’s hesitancy, then swallowed hard and nodded. After that, he didn’t know what the next stop on the road would be.

He leaned back against Aaron in a park three weeks later, watching the world pass by and wondering why it was so easy to get used to contentment.

“I only planned on dropping in to say hi,” he mused as the leaves fell.

Aaron’s fingers played with Reid’s shirt, his quiet breathing pressing into his back. “Do you want to go?”

Reid stayed silent.

“There’s nothing in the way now,” Aaron murmured calmly, his mouth close to Reid’s ear. “Just two guys in a park in the middle of America somewhere.”

Reid turned to look up at him, saw the hope in Aaron’s expression tied down tightly. He thought if the open road stopped here, that didn’t mean the adventure ended as well. And he had no plans, after all…

“I think… I’d like to stay for a while,” he said, feeling strangely confident in this newfound contentment. “Would that be alright?”

“Yes.” Aaron broke out his radiant, mythological smile again, then gently kissed Reid’s temple. “Stay as long as you like.”

“Okay,” Reid blushed, and then rolled his head to look out over the park again, his chest so full it felt close to bursting.

The leaves fell, people played with children and dogs, the sun moved unhurriedly over their heads.

“Thank you for coming to find me, Spencer,” Aaron murmured eventually, collecting Reid closer.

Reid smiled and hooked his arm over Aaron’s knee, idly tracing the lines of fabric with his fingers.

[ ](https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/blythechild/6784666/515077/515077_original.png)

Image made in PowerPoint. 


End file.
